Brick



BRICK Filed Oct. 9, 1933 BgY Patented Feb. 4, 1936 siren STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to bricks Aand more particularly to paving bricks of the type used in modern roadway construction. In my United States Letters Patent No. 1,397,505 issued November 22, 1931, reissued as Re. 18,336 onjJanuary 19, 1932, I described and claimed a paving brick provided with lugs on its side face. In laying a pavement with bricks of this type the lugs serve to properly space the sides of the bricks apart so that the binder material may readily flow between the bricks. By making the lugs relatively fragile or crushable the cracking of the bricks due to the expansion of the pavement during the warm weather is prevented because such expansion will merely crush the lugs but not crack the bricks.

In making paving bricks of this type elforts have been made to provide means for properly spacing the ends of the adjacent bricks but none 0f the plans which have been proposed, with which I am familiar, have been entirely satisfactory.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide means for accurately and properly spacing the ends of adjacent paving bricks whereby the binding material may readily ilow into the space between the ends of the bricks; the provision of a paving brick having spacing lugs on its ends whereby proper endto end spacing of the bricks may be obtained even though the side edges of the adjacent bricks are not absolutely accurately aligned; the provision of a paving brick having end spacing lugs which are adapted to engage similar lugs on the ends of adjacent bricks, said lugs being adapted to crush during expansion of the pavement, thus prevening cracking of the body of the brick; the provision of end spacing lugs which are so disposed that the brick may be turned end for end without changing the relative positions of the end lugs of adjacent bricks, thus facilitating laying the bricks; and the provision of a brick having end spacing lugs which are so i shaped and arranged that they may be rolled on to an extruded clay column by rolls which do not need to be synchronized with the cutting oi mechanism, thereby greatly simplifying production and reducing the cost of manufacture.

The above and other objects of my invention will appear from the following description of one embodiment thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a section of pavement laid up vof my improved bricks, two of the bricks being shown spaced from each other and from the otherbricks.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a paving brick embodying my invention.

'I'he brick illustrated comprises a body portion l on one side of which are formed vertically extending grooves 2 and 3. Spacing lugs 4 and 5 project from the side of the brick adjacent the grooves 2 and 3 respectively. These lugs and grooves may be similar to those described and claimed in my above noted United States Reissue Patent No. 18,336. The lugs 4 and 5 are preferably relatively fragile or crushable to prevent cracking of the brick when the pavement expands and also serve to properly space the sides of adjacent bricks, asis seen in Figure 1. It is usually desirable to space the ends of adjacent bricks the same distance as the sides of the bricks and to accomplish this I form on the end surfaces l and 8 of the brick the obliquely or diagonally extending outwardly projecting lugs generally indicated at L on the end l of the brick and at L' on the end 8 of the brick.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention these lugs are generally half round in cross section and extend obliquely across the vertical center line of the end of the brick.

As is clearly seen in Figure 2 the lugs L (when viewed from the left hand end of the brick) extend obliquely downwardly from right to left while the lugs L extend obliquely downwardly from left to right. By thus slanting the lugs L and L' in opposite directions the contacting surface between the substantially half round lugs on the ends of adjacent bricks will be of very small area. This will be seen in Figure 1 and is of distinct advantage as it provides a free passage for the binding material between the ends of the brick and also, due to the small areas which are in contact with each other, permits the lugs L to be crushed upon expansion of the pavement, thus preventing cracking of the bricks.

It will also been seen that this arrangement of the oblique lugs L and L will permit the bricklayer to lay the bricks with either of the horizontal surfaces I0 and Il on top without affecting the position of the end lugs relative to the end lugs of the adjacent bricks. The contacting lugs on the ends of adjacent bricks will always cross each other and never mesh regardless of how any two adjacent bricks are located relative to each other. Thus, proper end spacing is positively assured and laying of the bricks greatly facilitated.

Even though the sides of adjacent bricks are not accurately aligned the ends of the bricks will be properly spaced because the contacting surfaces 9 of the lugs extend on either side of the Cilh wise, by forming the lugs L and L as shown and arranging the lugs on each end of the brick vertically extending rows spaced suiciently close together, the necessity of accurately spacing the: lugs L and L from the top and bottom edges of' the ends of the brick is eliminated. Thus, the lugs may be formed on the ends of the brick during the extruding process by rolls having edge surfaces suitably cut and the individual bricksA may then be out from the extruded column in theusual manner without regard to the lugs on the ends. It is Very difiicult, due to the nature of the material being handled, to: accurately synchronize the lug forming rolls with the cut off mechanism to insure locating the lugs at the same place on each brick. With my lug arrangement such accurate location of the lugs and synchronization of the apparatus is unnecessary and the manufacture of the bricks is thus greatly simplied.

Although I have described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of Ymy improved brick itA will be understood by those skilled in the art that the exact form and location of the end lugs may be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact form herein shown and described but claim as my invention all embodiments thereof coming within the scope of thel appended claims,

I claim:

1. A brick having a diagonally extending lug projecting outwardly from each of its ends, the lug on one end of the brick extending diagonally oppositely to the lug on the opposite end of the brick.

2. A brick of the class described having grooves and spacing projections formed on one side thereof and lugs on each end thereof, said lugs on one end being disposed obliquely to the edges of said end surface and the lugs on the other end extending obliquely to the edges of said other end but in opposite direction to the lugs on said rst named end.

3. A brick of the class described having grooves and crushable spacing projections formed on'one side thereof and crushable lugs on each end thereof, said lugs on one end being disposed obliquely to the edges of said end surface and the lugs on the other end extending obliquely to the edges of said other end but in opposite direction tothe lugs on said first named end.

4. A brick having obliquely extending crushable lugs projecting outwardly from each of its ends, the lugs on one end of the brick extending 2, 029,814 vvertical center line of the end of the bricks. Likeobliquely in the opposite direction to the lugs nnfthe opposite end of the brick.

15. A brick of the class described having oppo- :sitely obliquely extending lugs projecting outvwardly from opposite faces of the brick, said lugs 5 .having contact surfaces parallel to said faces of the brick.

:16. As an article of manufacture, a paving brick having a plurality of obliquely extending lugs :formed on each of its ends, the lugs on the oppo- Site ends of the brick extending obliquely in oppo- :site directions when viewed from one end of the zbrick.

'7. As an article of'manufacture, a paving brick Shaving a plurality of obliquely extending lugs formed on each of its ends, the lugs on the opposite ends of the brick extending obliquely in opposite directions when viewed from one end of the brick, said lugs being arranged in columns extending vertically upwardly from the bottom of the brick.

*8. In a pavement of the type described, a plurality of bricks laid in end to end relation, each brick having lugs on its ends, said lugs extending obliquely to the edges of the brick end surface `and being so disposed on the ends of the brick that the lugs on adjacent ends of adjacent bricks will extend obliquely at diierent angles and engage each other with a relatively small area of contact regardless-or" whether the top or bottom faces of either of said 'two adjacent bricks are placed uppermost.

9. A paving brick having a lug projecting outwardly from each end surface of the brick, said lugs extending at an angle to the vertical and `the lug on one end extending at a substantial angle to the lug on the other end.

l0. A paving brick having a plurality of spaced lugs on each end, said lugs extending at an angle to the vertical and the lugs on one end extending 40 at a substantial angle to the lugs on the other end.

11. A paving brick having a plurality of lugs on each end thereof, said lugs being arranged in vertical columns on each end of said brick and D being disposed substantially on the vertical center line of each end of the brick, each individual lug of said columns of lugs extending substantially equal distances on each side of said vertical center 59, lines but stopping short of the side edges of the ends of the brick and the lugs on one end of the brick extending oppositely obliquely to those on the other end.

FRANK B. DUNN. 515@ 

